In a principal aspect, the present invention relates to a class of luggage items, bags, and containers, wherein the luggage item, bag or container is generally comprised of flexible material such as fabric, canvas or leather and further wherein the item, container or bag includes a telescoping handle, wheels and a removable, supplemental, reinforcing bottom plate for maintaining the shape and general configuration of the flexible bag.
Use of a flexible bag, container or luggage item is often preferred inasmuch as such items are more easily stored because they can be folded or made compact when not in use. Additionally, such items are typically lighter in weight. Also, because soft-sided luggage items, containers or bags have flexible sides, they may be used to hold and transport uniquely shaped items that could not be easily placed and stored in a hard-sided luggage item or container. Further, flexible bags are often more economical to manufacture and easier to move or transport.
Despite their many desirable characteristics, flexible containers, bags or luggage items are often difficult to construct with a telescoping handle and wheels which facilitate ease of transport, particularly when the luggage item, container or bag is large. Thus, there has developed a need to provide flexible or soft-sided luggage items, containers or bags which have certain characteristics typically associated with hard-sided luggage, including the characteristic of being susceptible to incorporation of a telescoping handle and transport wheels.